Consensus of Leading Toxicologists Declare: BPA Poses No Noteworthy Risk to Human Health

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 19, 2011 - The North American
Metal Packaging Alliance, Inc. (NAMPA) urges policymakers and media
to take heed of a decisive analysis by independent toxicologists
that concludes bisphenol A (BPA) poses no risk to human health. In
a comprehensive study published this month in the peer-reviewed
Critical Reviews in Toxicology, a group of leading
independent toxicologists from Germany thoroughly evaluated the
full complement of current scientific research on BPA. Based on
their analysis, the scientists determined that existing scientific
evidence indicates there is no risk to human health, at any age,
from exposure to BPA.

“This independent analysis cannot be ignored and, in fact,
should be required reading for all policymakers and those in the
media who are entrusted to provide the public with a thorough
scientific perspective and sound scientific policy,” said Dr.
John M. Rost, Chairman of NAMPA.

“It is imperative that public policy be constructed on a
foundation of sound science and comprehensive toxicological
assessments, rather than on the basis of fear. These authors, who
have no interest in the issue other than seeing that the science is
objectively evaluated, now reaffirm what regulatory experts across
the globe have stated consistently -- BPA poses no risk to human
health, including infants and children.”

As part of its review, the authors, who serve on the Advisory
Committee of the German Society of Toxicology, also looked at the
actions of various countries regarding the science on BPA. Based on
their thorough review of current scientific research on BPA, the
German scientists concluded that government actions to ban BPA are
politically motivated and not based on any sound scientific risk
management policy.

On the specific issue of the proposed “low-dose
effects” that have dominated the debate around BPA, the
German committee found flaws with the low-dose studies routinely
cited to support the hypothesis. Their findings are consistent with
reviews by other scientific boards, including the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) and European Food Safety Authority
(EFSA). Specifically, the committee asks pointedly,
“whether it is time to end concerns over the estrogenic
effects of BPA, particularly since it has repeatedly been
impossible to reproduce the initial positive effects.”
(emphasis added).

The committee also evaluated several large, multi-generational
studies used for regulatory guidance and funded in part by
industry. The authors vehemently rejected the idea of bias, or the
practice of weighing the number of positive studies versus negative
studies, as is so often done in reports on BPA, labeling such
efforts as “naïve.” Their review found no evidence
of bias and instead offered a comprehensive explanation of the
causes behind the varied findings. In short, the committee pointed
out that academic research is conducted to find positive results of
health effects, making researchers more likely to get these studies
published. In fact, according to the German authors, these
explorative studies are over-represented due to publication bias in
academic research.

The conclusions of the Advisory Committee of the German Society
of Toxicology follow a comprehensive and thorough review of all
available scientific research on controversial issues associated
with BPA. The authors leave no question as to their motivation for
this analysis, stating clearly that they seek “to contribute
to a balanced and well-founded resolution of the seemingly
dead-locked situation...,” adding that they reviewed the
background and the cutting-edge questions at the center of the BPA
controversy to offer “an independent judgment.”

The full study can be found in the peer-reviewed journal,
Critical Reviews in Toxicology, Vol. 41, No. 4 or
here. For additional scientific perspective or explanation of
terms, studies, or reviews included in the report, please contact
NAMPA at info@metal-pack.org to schedule an
interview or briefing.

About NAMPA

The North American Metal Packaging Alliance, Inc. and its
members support sound science and trust the scientific review
process that has protected our food supply for decades. For further
information, visit
www.metal-pack.org.

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